A Crowd of Heroes

The idea for the cookout came about after the Bidens visited a group of veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center—and casually mentioned hosting a party at their place. Not only did they come through with the invitation, they did the troops one better and asked Food Network star Sunny Anderson, an Air Force veteran, to help plan the meal.

Just Like Family

The party felt like a big family cookout: Guests had hours to talk to Sunny, the vice president and Dr. Biden. Army Captain Dan Berschinski (above, with Sunny and his girlfriend, Rebecca) was wounded in Afghanistan and met the Bidens at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

An Emotional Invitation

Sunny couldn't stop crying when she got the call from the vice president's office; cooking for war veterans means more to her than just about anything. "When you're raised in a military family and you see up close how war affects everyone, you learn what it really is to be an American," she said. "Veterans hold a very special place in my heart."

The Andersons: A Military Family

The Bidens also invited Sunny’s uncle, Army Major General Rodney Anderson, who is serving at the Pentagon. He was proud to see his niece in action. “She has so much passion for what she does,” he said. Sunny, an air force veteran, is military through and through: Her father is also a retired army colonel and Vietnam veteran.

A Collaborative Feast

This party was the first time the Bidens have served some of their favorite recipes along with another chef's: Guests got to try the vice president's grilled pizza and heirloom-tomato pasta salad (made by Navy chefs) along with Sunny's pulled-pork sandwiches, beet and sweet potato chips and berry trifle. "I've learned to keep it simple," Sunny said. She wanted to make the food easy so she'd have time to talk to the troops. "To meet people who are helping protect our country means so much to me," she said. "Whether you are for or against war, you have to honor someone who will go off and fight for us."